Marine litter

Photo: WWF Poland/Piotr Necel

Marine litter is a rapidly growing concern
at sea and shores alike, having a large impact on the environment. Marine
litter is not only an aesthetic problem but incurs socioeconomic costs,
threatens human health and safety and has impacts on marine organisms.

Moreover, entanglement
in, or ingestion of, marine litter are concrete threats to marine animals and may even lead to death. Consumption of tiny particles called micro
plastics is also of concern as it may provide a pathway for transport of
harmful chemicals into the food web. Additionally, marine litter is known to
damage and degrade habitats (e.g. in terms of smothering) and to be a possible
vector for the transfer of alien species.

As agreed in the Ministerial Meeting in October 2013, HELCOM developed a regional action plan on marine litter, adopted in
2015, with the aim of achieving a significant reduction of marine litter
by 2025 and to prevent harm to the coastal and marine environment.